Development Projects

Voisey's Bay: Outreach Story

Mining camps don't get much more remote than the Voisey's Bay nickel deposit, 350 kilometres north of Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Labrador. The challenge for Medical Officer Dr. Ian Feltham, who is based out of Goose Bay, is to work closely with the Voisey's Bay team to identify the key health issues and priorities as the project moves forward.

In this early stage of development, the emphasis is on providing around-the-clock paramedic/emergency first aid support to the camp. Two nurses are on site and a defibrillator cardiac monitor and additional medical life support equipment are also in place. Physicians in the region are on call 24 hours a day to provide advice to the nursing team and to assist in the medical evacuation of any patients.

“There were over 700 people up on site this season,” says Dr. Feltham. “Our focus has been on getting the site set up to deal with this influx of people and on conducting the necessary medicals and health screenings. Now, we need to step back and do a needs' assessment in order to establish the right process and the right organizational set up for the Voisey's Bay medical unit.”

At the community level, the area's Chief Medical Officer and local aboriginal organizations manage issues of public health, such as substance abuse and addiction. In consultation with these groups, and because of the prevalence of these issues in the local community, Voisey's Bay prohibits alcohol on site. And, employee assistance programs are being established to address the cultural uniqueness of the Innu and Inuit people and to support efforts to address systemic substance abuse issues.

An important medical partnership is also underway which will provide long-term medical and health care support at both the site and within the local communities. A joint venture between the Innu population and Medcan (which also provides medical management support to other Inco locations), Innumed has signed a contract with Voisey's Bay and the Innumed team is already looking at what telecare/telehealth options might be appropriate for Voisey's Bay.

Goro Nickel: Meeting Emerging Needs

While the Goro project is in its early development stages – and is on hold for the moment until a complete engineering review is completed – there is a small medical team in place at the site and Dr. Vincent Fardeau, the head of emergency services for the island of New Caledonia, has been appointed Regional Managing Physician. Already, Goro Nickel has established a small medical centre to attend to any major emergencies and to provide general care, as well as to conduct occupational medicine consultations. Two nurses have also been engaged to work with Dr. Fardeau to provide a 24-hour presence on site.

The Goro medical team is currently focused on providing a number of services including:

• general practice and intermediate care.
• emergency care on-site and near the site (on-site case management, stabilization and transfer of patient to the Nouméa hospital, 100 kilometres away).
• technical advice on organizing an emergency response team for the site and for the common services and medical unit.
• technical advice on organizing rescues during natural or other disasters (cyclones, fire, etc.).
• occupational accident management.
• implementation of a dengue fever prevention plan.

Once the project resumes, Dr. Fardeau will focus on recruiting the required medical and nursing staff; establishing an on-site hospitalization facility with approximately 15 beds; procuring the necessary equipment and materials for the centre; and, developing ties between the site and the local medical units, as well as with the New Caledonian authorities.

During the construction phase, there will be a heavy focus on first aid measures at the site. The medical team will provide:

• medical coverage for all construction activities, with priority given to emergency situations.
• first aid support at remote sites.
• first aid training to employees.
• analysis of occupational accidents in conjunction with the local health service unit.
• an ongoing review of the health status of the jobsite and identify any potential epidemics.
• care to expatriate workers who are not covered by the New Caledonia health system.
• assistance in organizing medical repatriations outside of New Caledonia at the request of Goro Nickel.

The New Caledonian public health system manages community health issues. As a result, Dr. Fardeau does not foresee the need for Goro Nickel to develop a similar program. “Our focus right now is on defining our relationship with the community and how we will integrate our activities into New Caledonia's health system. For example, our medical unit or emergency response team could be helpful in administering first aid to the surrounding tribes in the event of a serious accident. These are the types of ideas we will pursue in the days ahead.”